By Kalinga Seneviratne SHANTINIKETAN, India | 6 March 2025 (IDN) — In the immediate aftermath of the decolonisation process in the 1960s and 1970s, led by Western scholars, development communication was seen as a top-down process where communication could be used to educate the peasants to wean them away from subsistence farming and other livelihoods […]
Musk’s Nazi Salute Is a Shameless Display of Antisemitism
By Dr Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 30 January 2025 (IDN) — No riches can obscure the ugliest manifestation of antisemitism and bigotry that Elon Musk displayed with his Nazi salute following Trump’s inauguration. Musk can send a spaceship to Mars with his fortune, but no money or social platform will erase the well-deserved shame […]
Russia’s Acclaimed University Celebrates Eventful 65 Years of Existence
By Somar Wijayadasa* NEW YORK | 28 January 2025 (IDN) — Russia’s People’s Friendship University in Moscow—widely known as the RUDN—an acronym derived from its Russian name (Российский Университет Дружбы Народов) celebrates its 65th Anniversary on 5 February 2025. Just three years after he opened the former Soviet Union (USSR) to the world with the […]
Global Education Must Integrate AI, Centred on Humanity
By J Nastranis NEW YORK | 26 January 2025 (IDN) — Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility and the right to education is enshrined in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The United Nations General Assembly, therefore, proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education, in […]
Universities Can Help Catalysing Sustainable Development
By Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir* MARRAKECH, Morocco | 21 January 2025 (IDN) — Most of our world is experiencing a time of public discontent that now necessitates accomplishing a better and different driver of renewal for our cities and rural places. Let us consider a new approach, rooted in a long-held understanding of the purpose of […]
UN Forum Sets Out Vision for Inclusive, Equitable Digital Future
By Bernhard Schell RIYADH, Saudi Arabia |16 December 2024 (IDN) — As the world navigates rapid digital transformation, the 19th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) has convened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under the theme “Building Our Multistakeholder Digital Future.“ The programme will feature over 300 sessions, with four sub-themes: (1) Harnessing innovation and balancing […]
As Micro-credentials Gather Steam Universities Are at A Crossroad
By Kalinga Seneviratne BANGKOK | 26 November 2024 (IDN) — At a conference held here from 20-22 November of mainly Southeast Asian academics and higher education officials, a word uppermost in the minds of speakers and participants was “micro-credentials” a word that is of worry to many who have risen to professor levels over a […]
Informal Summit of The Future: International Youth Conference
By Bisma Qamar* NEW YORK | 19 October 2024 (IDN) — The summit of the future was held during the General Assembly session last month with the theme of multilateral solutions for a better future. One of the prominent chapters which was highlighted was youth and future generations. Following the summit, the 10th edition of […]
Child Survival Award to Honour the Legendary Jim Grant
By Kul Chandra Gautam The writer is a former UN assistant secretary general and deputy executive director of UNICEF. KATHMANDU | 26 September 2024 (IDN) — Ever since UNICEF’s legendary Executive Director Jim Grant passed away in January 1995, I have had a dream that UNICEF, ideally, or some other organization, would establish a prestigious […]
OECD Criticises Lack of Equality in Educational Opportunities and Employment
By Jaya Ramachandran PARIS | 10 September 2024 (IDN) — Women out-perform men in education, but this does not translate into corresponding job opportunities. The lack of equality of opportunity is reflected in students from less advantaged socio-economic backgrounds performing worse in standardised assessments. Early childhood education is key for reducing the impact of family […]